7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries
Both heists – one in Tempe and another in Mesa – were committed on May 23, the Scottsdale Police Department said.
All seven suspects were arrested on Friday at a short-term rental where they were staying, police said.
Scottsdale Police were alerted to the group on May 20 by the Burbank Police Department in California. They were warned about a SATG group from Colombia that had allegedly committed burglaries in California, Oregon and Washington, and were possibly headed to Arizona.
Exclusive Video: Dhs Nabs Numerous Suspects In Dramatic Sting Of Rival La Gangs
Among the stolen property in California was a French Bulldog, which will be given back to its owner, police said.
Read On The Fox News App
Authorities in California shared the group's vehicle descriptions and other information with Arizona authorities. Scottsdale detectives eventually tracked the suspects down to the short-term rental property, police said.
From May 20-22, authorities watched the group and followed them to the burglarized homes on May 23, police said.
Colombian Nationals Arrested In Connection With Dozens Of Home Burglaries In Oregon: Police
"They observed all seven suspects coordinate and participate in burglary activity at both locations," a police statement said.
The suspects were identified as: Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23; Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26; Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38; Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26; Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28; Lady Johanna Gueito, 32; and 25-year-old Angie Paola Herandez-Manrique.
Each suspect was ordered held in the Maricopa County Jail pending "numerous criminal charges" on $150,000 cash-only bonds.Original article source: 7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Micky Horstman: Before getting more taxpayer money, Chicago transit needs more fixes
As I and 100,000 other people headed home from Lollapalooza, I saw a 'Save Transit Now' flyer plastered on the Red Line's Jefferson station. It warned riders that without a $1.5 billion increase in funding, the transit agencies will fail or cut service to 1 in 5 Chicagoans. I tapped into the station at 10:13 p.m. to discover trains were indefinitely delayed because of police activity at the 95th Street station, where an 18-year-old was in critical condition after being shot by a man trying to rob him. No trains had come by 10:45, and with the platform overcrowded, I took a $60 Uber home. Lollapalooza should've been an opportunity to showcase Chicagoland's transit capabilities. Instead, it highlighted all the problems riders have with the Chicago Transit Authority: Crime is elevated and trains don't run on time. Before Illinois leaders consider a massive transit bailout that puts new tax hikes on the backs of non-riders and continues the broken financial and logistical status quo, the Regional Transit Authority must implement serious internal reforms. At one point, the state considered a $770 million bailout bill that relied on a sales tax on services; another version introduced a statewide, $1.50 tax on deliveries such as Amazon and DoorDash. A new proposal would tax real estate sales in the Chicago suburbs, which could hurt housing affordability in a market already strained by high prices, record property taxes and low inventory. But throwing more taxpayer money at Chicago-area mass transit isn't going to help anyone waiting for a train at 10 p.m. The transit agencies have many issues to fix first. Here is where the repairs should start. Commit to fiscal responsibility: Fully aware of the upcoming fiscal cliff, CTA leadership still advanced the Red Line's $5.75 billion, 5-mile extension. Despite the ballooning costs they chose to saddle the system with decades of future debt. This is emblematic of transit leaders' lack of fiscal prudence. Previous RTA fiscal blunders include spending $40,000 on a DJ, hundreds of thousands of dollars on overtime, over $1 million on employees who don't work, $200,000 on AI gun security, and over $112 million on other contracts for non-enforcement security officers. Frivolous spending with no accountability like this erodes public trust and has failed to improve safety or service. The agencies should start by eliminating reckless line items before they ask for more money and threaten service cuts. To address safety, money could've been spent hiring active Chicago Police Department officers to apprehend fare evaders, and prevent smoking and violent, anti-social behavior. The Illinois Policy Institute estimates it would cost $20 million annually to do that. Instead, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to add social workers to the trains. Pursue meaningful consolidation: The proposed bill would have eliminated the RTA and replaced it with the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. Lawmakers touted consolidation, but in reality it looked more like reallocation. That's a missed opportunity. A better bill would cut down on board members and would meaningfully condense administrative and non-service-related departments under the RTA or new agency's authority. Board members across Metra, CTA, RTA and Pace meet as little as once a month and cost Illinoisans around $910,000 a year. These positions are often filled by former mayors and politicos who rarely have transportation expertise. The CTA's growing personnel costs take up more than two-thirds of its budget. Nearly half of their employees don't work in transit, but rather in administration and management. These positions should be trimmed before service cuts are considered. Just look at what other systems are doing: For the same cost as the Red Line extension, transit leaders in Washington, D.C., are hoping to automate their entire system. That will improve service, safety and reduce long-term operating costs — all things the CTA struggles with. Redesign the fare program: Fixing the mess means fixing funding mechanisms. Nationally, fares covered an average of roughly 34% of most transit systems' costs pre-pandemic. Today, system-generated revenue is just 20% of the CTA's total revenue for operations. Public funding and federal pandemic relief, which is running out, covers the rest of the operating costs. Metra raised fares in 2024 to try to get ahead of its deficit, but the CTA hasn't raised fares since 2018 and offers an unlimited day pass for just $5. The RTA plans on raising prices in 2026, but will a day pass cost more than a simple round-trip ticket? As an avid CTA rider, I know fare hikes are not ideal, but I'd rather contribute more to the service I use than saddle family members far outside the city with random taxes. Worse would be to cut service and abandon Chicagoans when we should be looking to grow the system and improve reliability. Chicago's public transit is critical for connecting communities and supporting economic mobility. But Springfield shouldn't bail out a system that lacks accountability. Illinoisans deserve better than 'more of the same.' By committing to these reforms first, Chicago can transform and restore its transit system without making taxpayers suffer more for years of poor judgment and mismanagement.
UPI
13 hours ago
- UPI
Top U.S. diplomat Landau to attend Uribe funeral in Colombia
1 of 3 | Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe, seen here in June 2024, died on Monday, his wife announced on social media, two months after he had been seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head during a campaign event. File Photo by Carlos Ortega/EPA Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced Tuesday that he will attend the memorial of Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay, who died this week from gunshot injuries he sustained in June while campaigning against the country's left-wing president. The State Department announced Tuesday that Landau was traveling to Bogota to attend the memorial service for Uribe, a conservative politician who died from his injuries after being shot in the head during a campaign event in June. Landau's visit comes as tensions between the United States and Colombia are high as the Trump administration has taken a more confrontational posture in Latin America. Speaking on Donald Trump Jr.'s Triggered podcast on Monday, Landau said his attendance at Uribe's funeral showed "our intense concern" about what he called the growing assassination attempts of right-wing candidates in multiple countries. "You can't have democracy if basically anybody who's right of center becomes a subject of assassination attempts or outright assassination," Landau said. Landau said Uribe was killed while speaking out against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who was formerly a Marxist guerrilla. "There is not a single piece of evidence in the investigation that even suggests that the government is responsible for the murder of Senator Miguel Uribe," Petro said in a post on X Tuesday, suggesting the killing was being politicized. Petro has publicly clashed with President Donald Trump. He initially refused to take a deportation flight early in Trump's second term and spoke out against what he said was possible U.S. military intervention in neighboring Venezuela. Colombian authorities have arrested six people in connection to Uribe's death but have not identified a gunman or a motive, according to The New York Times. Landau said the Trump administration was taking renewed interest in "our own backyard," taking a more aggressive approach to drug cartels in Mexico and against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who won a third term last year amid widespread allegations of fraud. The Trump administration is offering a $50 million reward for the arrest and conviction of Maduro for alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
_fitted.png&w=3840&q=100)
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Owners lay trap after French bulldog stolen, MI cops say. Now man is sentenced
The owners of a French bulldog hatched a plan after learning their pet had been stolen, and now a Michigan man has been sentenced, according to police and news outlets. In late April, the Troy Police Department said a local woman found a lost French bulldog in her backyard and shared a photo on Facebook in an attempt to reunite the dog with its owners. Then a man, 24-year-old Malik Deshawn Motley, reached out saying it was his, according to police. The brindle-colored French bulldog is named Fats, The Oakland Press reported. Motley had 'provided what appeared to be convincing photos and information. Believing him, the resident released the dog to him,' police said. The same day, the dog's real owners contacted the woman, but it was too late, police said./ Motley and the dog were gone. However, the owners soon discovered their beloved Fats was listed for sale online, so they decided to lay a trap, police said. Pretending to be an interested buyer, one of the owners planned a meeting with Motley, and when he showed up, so did police, the department said. 'Upon arrival, officers located the suspect vehicle, the dog's owner, and the French Bulldog,' police said, adding that Fats was 'safely reunited' with its family. According to the department, Motley was arrested at the scene on a charge of larceny $1,000 — $20,000, which is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Motley pleaded no contest in June, and he was sentenced Monday, Aug. 11, to 40 days in jail, WDIV reported. French bulldogs are the most popular breed out of the 202 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, according to the organization. They are also highly sought after and can be expensive, with puppies regularly selling for thousands of dollars — and sometimes tens-of-thousands — depending on its physical features and lineage, according to MarketWatch. Brindle coloration, like Fats has, is considered a particularly desirable characteristic. Troy is a roughly 20-mile drive northwest from downtown Detroit.
